With both Lucifer and Lucian out there, and the experience I had with my recent quest, running away wasn’t the best or smartest option. Especially, if I was going to be alone. I was a magnet for the Fallen, and it seemed like even when I was invisible, they could smell me from miles away.
I needed to know Ethon would stand up against his father for me if he ever had to. I wasn’t brought into existence to become anyone’s pawn, especially Lucifer’s. Hell if I would live the rest of my life as his slave. That was simply not going to happen. My freedom was something I’d fight for to the death.
I looked into Ethon’s fiery crimson eyes. “I will meet you on one condition,” I finally whispered.
He grinned. “Anything.”
“You have to promise we will not seal any bonds yet.” I knew with the power of the bond, it would be hard to fight, but I had to make sure he didn’t try and force me to seal the bond.
“You have my word,” he answered straightforwardly. Honesty emanated from his eyes.
“Alright,” I uttered quietly. “Meet me at the front door. Midnight.”
Ethon smiled and I was hit with a wave of happiness through the bond.
“I’ll be there. Thank you, Emma.” With a single flap of his beautiful black wings, he shot off into the sky.
I hoped I was doing the right thing. Alaine would kill me if she ever found out I was leaving the house, but then again, she was also the one who told me I had to play the part and make Ethon believe we would still be bonded before my transformation. I just needed to keep my head straight with him. Ethon and I together and alone… that was a lethal combination. I just hoped we could rationally discuss the future and I could get as much information as I could get from him before I returned.
Thomas was protecting me for the whole today, which meant he would also be here during the night. He was taking a nap. Would he even be able to sleep tonight? I wish I had the power to put the sleeper on him, just long enough for me to sneak past him. Maybe if I put on my super suit under my pajamas after my shower it would help me disappear. I was slowly learning how to wield the magic of the suit and now, with just a thought, I could disappear. It was like the more I wore it, the greater the connection became. I was glad because over the next week, I’d need it more than ever.
Aside from all the craziness, tonight was Caleb and Courtney’s farewell dinner. Even though it was only for a few weeks, Alaine thought it fitting to throw together a little party in the ballroom, just to lighten the mood. She knew how much everyone enjoyed parties there, especially Courtney.
Thomas interrupted my thoughts, stretching and yawning. “Hey, you”
“Hey,” I answered. “You were out cold.”
“Yeah, I didn’t get much sleep last night in the cabin. Those guys snore like a pack of wild buffalo.”
“What?” I giggled. “Have you ever heard a pack of wild buffalo snore?”
“No, but I can imagine they sound very similar to the sounds the guys made last night in the cabin.”
My giggle turned into a laugh. “Well, Alex was here last night and he said it was the best night’s sleep he’d had in a long time.”
“I couldn’t agree with him more. I’m glad I’ll finally get a chance to sleep in peace, unless… do you snore?”
“Me?” I squeaked. “No way. Until Malachi and Dominic slept in here, this was a snore free zone.”
“Well, just in case I do happen to snore tonight—” he threw me a small, unopened package.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“Earplugs. I have a box full of them.”
I laughed. “Well, thanks. I wish I had these a few nights ago. They would have come in very handy.” I pulled open my nightstand drawer and dropped them inside. “Hey, Thomas?”
“Yeah?” he asked.
“What do you think you’ll do after this assignment is over?”
He glanced at me and shrugged. “Go back to Midway and wait for my next assignment.”
I nodded. “How long have you known, Kade?”
“Well, until this assignment, I never knew him personally. I knew of him, I mean, everyone in Grandia knows about Kade because he is the son of Raphael the Archangel.”
His words brought a smile to my lips. “You’ve met his parents?” I asked.
“No. His dad is kind of a big deal though. He’s a healer, and is sent out on a lot of missions. I’ve heard he’s super cool though, like Kade.”
“And, what do you think about Ethon?” I wanted to see what he thought and was trying to make small talk instead of the awkward dead silence.
He puffed and shook his head. “There isn’t much to say. Your bond with him is the worst possible scenario. He happens to be the son of our greatest enemy.”
“Yeah,” I sighed. I guess I already knew asking any of the Guardians this question would end with the same answer. None of them would choose Ethon.
“Look, Emma. If you’re looking for my opinion, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be offering you my advice because it’s biased. I will always choose my brother.”
“I know. Thanks for being honest,” I said.
“Hey, no problem,” he said, with a smile. “Still friends?” His brow raised.
“Of course we are,” I said, tossing a pillow at him. He caught it, fluffed it, and lay back down.
I couldn’t wait for dinner to arrive, and it seemed like the seconds ticked by extra slow. It was casual, so I decided to wear my jeans and a nice, caramel brown, long-sleeved top. I wore my hair down, and applied some simple make-up. Thomas left the room for an hour so I could get ready, but he said he would be just outside my door.
Right before dinner, there was a knock.
“Are you ready?” he asked through the door.
“Yep. I’ll be right there” I answered, giving myself a quick spray of perfume, one I remembered Kade liked. When I opened the door, Thomas stood there looking very dashing. His blond hair was neatly combed back, and he had on jeans and button down blue shirt, which made the blue in his eyes stand out. He must have gotten one of the other guys to stand guard for a while so he could change.
“You look good,” he said, offering me his arm.
“Why, thanks. So do you,” I responded. “I didn’t think I would be escorted to this event. This is cool.” I looped my arm around his.
“Yeah, I have my moments,” he said. “Plus, I’m still on baby-sitting duty.”
I gasped and narrowed my eyes on him.
“Babysitting?” I snarled.
“I’m kidding!” he laughed, holding his hands up in surrender.
“You better be.”
As we walked down the stairs, Henry rounded the corner with a tray of yummy desserts.
“Emma. How are you, dear?” His warm smile instantly put a smile on my face.
“Henry! When did you get back?” I asked. It had felt like forever since I’d seen him last. He’d been away tending to his sick sister in England, before coming down with the same illness himself.
“Just this morning,” he chimed.
“It looks like you’re feeling much better,” Thomas added.
“Yes, much. It’s good to be back with all of my favorite people.”
“Well, it’s great to have you back, Henry,” I said.
He gave a little nod and proceeded down the hall toward the ballroom.
When we entered, I felt like I had been transported to another place. The room was bright and cheerful, beautifully decorated with balloons, flowers, and centerpieces in vivid colors. There was no way anyone could feel sad in this setting.
Courtney and Caleb were already seated, picking on some snacks, and as soon as Courtney saw me, she waved me over.
“Well, I guess you’re safe here,” Thomas said, letting me go.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Yeah, no problem. I’ll be watching you, and will come to collect you at the end of the night,” he said with an over exaggerated wink.
“Fine.”
I giggled, rolling my eyes, heading for Courtney.
“Emma,” she exclaimed, waving. “Come, sit next to me.”
I was glad to see a smile on her face. The past few weeks had been really hard on everyone, especially them. I finally made my way over and sat in the seat next to her. She had a scar from the wound on her forehead, and her bruises were almost completely gone.
She leaned over close. “I can’t believe we’re leaving for a few weeks.”
“It’s only to keep you safe. You saw what happened. Alaine wouldn’t be able to forgive herself if anything ever happened to you or Caleb. You’re her life.”
“So are you,” she said.
“I know, but you’ve been with her longer than I have. She practically raised you.”
“Yeah, “ she sighed, then turned toward me. “But I’m really worried about you.”
“Why?” I asked, seeing the troubled look.
“I had a horrible nightmare last night about you and it scared me,” she whispered.
“What was it about?” I asked. She paused. “It’s alright, it was only a dream,” I whispered back. But deep inside I knew, especially in this crazy new world, dreams sometimes did come true.
She exhaled. “It was pitch black and I could hear you screaming, calling out for help. It sounded like you were hurt. I tried to find my way through the darkness to get to you, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find you. I yelled and yelled for you, but you kept screaming in pain. It made me so sick inside. And then, all of a sudden I saw you, lying in a pool of blood, and your eyes were red. No matter how fast I ran toward you, I couldn’t get to you. You looked helpless and in so much pain.
“I woke up crying, and had to turn my night light on. I slept with it on for the rest of the night. I don’t want anything to happen to you, Emma,” she said, leaning over and hugging me tightly.
I hugged her back. “Hey, don’t worry about me. I have Samuel, Alaine, and six of the best Guardians watching over me. I’ll be just fine,” I said, trying to be optimistic.
“I know, but there are a lot more of those monsters out there. Caleb told me there were thousands.”
“Which is true, but look at how many of them attacked us, and they were all killed. They can’t defeat our guys. They’re the best warriors out there, trained to fight and protect us. You don’t have to worry. We’ll be just fine.”
“I hope so,” she breathed, a single tear trickled down her cheek. “I just can’t wait until this is all over.”
“Me too, Courtney. Me too.” I grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
Glancing at the tray in front of us, I was about to grab a small pastry puff when Courtney nudged me.
“Hey, look who just walked in,” she said, discreetly nodding toward the entry.
As soon as I saw him, my heart beat a little quicker and my insides fluttered with butterflies.
Kade.
I hadn’t seen him in almost a week, and even when I tried, I couldn’t tear my eyes away. He was with the rest of the Guardians, but he stood out of the pack. I felt the edges of my lips rise as I watched him laugh and talk to the others as they walked in. Seeing him was like drinking an ice cold cup of water on the hottest day. It quenched the fires of stress. His presence always made my world feel complete.
“You’re in love with him now, aren’t you?” Courtney questioned in a soft whisper.
“What?” I turned towards her cheesy smile, and remembered the first day I arrived here. We were in this very room when she asked me if I was in love with Kade. My answer at the time was no, because I barely knew him. But a lot had happened since then. That short time between then and now seemed like an eternity.
He combed his fingers through his thick brown hair. Every time he did that, it took my breath away. I was crazy about him - the way he carried himself, his perfect smile, his glimmering eyes, his charisma.
He was standing right under the flawless statue, carved from his likeness. A perfect reminder of who he really was… my Guardian angel. Kade turned and our eyes connected. His hazel eyes were gleaming just as bright as his beautiful smile. For that brief moment in time, we were frozen. One heart captured by the other.
“Well?” she asked again, her eyes intently watching me.
A smile rose even higher on my lips. My eyes still locked onto his. “Yes.” I answered assuredly. “I am in love with him.”
“I knew it. I just wanted to hear you say it,” she giggled.
“I know where my true heart lies,” I breathed out loud, but the words were meant for me. The feelings I had with Kade were just as strong as the bond itself, if not stronger. The pull between us wasn’t one that needed to be forced, it just was.
“Then, why don’t you two just be together?” she asked.
“I wish it were that simple,” I sighed.
“Well, maybe it is and you’re just complicating it more than you should,” she said, shrugging.
I turned to her and grinned. “I’m really gonna miss you, little sister.”
Her smile rose from ear to ear. “It’s only for a few weeks. And when I get back, we are going to do more sisterly things.”
“Deal.”
When I looked back I noticed the guys walking toward the tables, but Kade stayed back. He discreetly motioned for me to come, then proceeded to walk back out into the hallway.
“Hey, I’ll be right back,” I said, leaning over to Courtney. “I need to use the restroom.”
“Alright. I’ll save your seat,” she chimed.
I stood and proceeded to walk out, when Thomas called, “Hey where are you going?”
“To the bathroom. Do you care to follow me?” I asked, a little snarky in hopes he would say no.
“Nope. I think you’ve got this. Don’t wander, and come right back,” he replied.
“Yes, sir,” I saluted.
“Funny,” he said, unamused.
I laughed and quickly made my way toward the hall, sighing in relief.
Kade wasn’t there when I exited, but I saw him glance around the corner of the foyer and wink. I quickly made my way toward him, my heart pitter-pattering, my knees shaking.
Before I reached the end, I quickly glanced behind me to make sure no one was following. The hall was empty.
As soon as I rounded the corner, I was enveloped in his embrace. His warm lips pressed against mine for a quick moment, stealing my breath. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered, hugging me closer.
“I’ve missed you, too,” I said, hugging him back. His sweet scent wrapped around me.
The feeling of being in his arms was like nothing else in the world.
“How are you holding up?” he asked.
“As fine as any person could be in my shoes,” I sighed. “Alaine still doesn’t have any answers, and I’m really starting to get worried.”
“We still have a week. Samuel left this morning to do some of his own searching.”
“Where did he go?” I gasped. I hadn’t seen him since the attack, and knowing he was out there alone made me worry.
“I don’t know. He didn’t say. He just told us he’d be back, and I don’t think he wanted anyone to know where he was going. Samuel’s good at being hidden. He’s done it for so long, I wouldn’t worry about him too much.”
I nodded, my mind tormented at the thought of him ever getting hurt.
“Hey,” he whispered, steadying my face to meet his. “He’ll be fine, and we still have time.”
I forced a smile, nodding again. I wrapped my arms around his neck and brought him down until our faces were an inch apart.
“Kiss me?”
“You never have to ask,” he breathed.
I pressed my lips to his, and an inferno erupted between us. Passion and longing filled me, and poured out to him. His gentle hands held my face, while soft wet lips claimed mine, making the world around us fade away.
Floating high on a cloud, and never wanted it to end, but his lips left mine much too soon, lin
gered painfully close. I could feel his breath brush across my lips, making me tingle.
“We should get back,” he said softly, pressing his lips against mine again. “They’ll come out looking for you.”
“Mhmmm,” I nodded, humming against his mouth. It was the only thing I could do, since he’d left me dizzy and speechless.
He quickly kissed the tip of my nose and chuckled.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“For what?” he questioned.
“For finding a way. I really needed this. I needed you.”
“We both did,” he answered.
I kissed him one more time before releasing him. “I’ll see you inside.”
He winked. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
During dinner I tried to keep my head in the moment, but it kept spinning and spinning with unwanted stress. Kade, Ethon, Samuel, Lucian, Lucifer. I felt like I was headed on a downward spiral, out of control, ready to crash and burn.
Before I knew it, dinner was over. I was sitting there for over an hour, and the whole thing was a complete blur. I vaguely remembered laughing and smiling but didn’t remember why.
Would this ever end? Would I be able to enjoy my life without stress or worry?
I hugged Courtney and Caleb goodnight, feeling bad I hadn’t given them my full attention, but they didn’t even seem to notice.
“Have a safe flight,” I said to Courtney as she stood up from the table.
She hugged me back. “Thank you. Please be safe, Emma.”
“I’ll try,” I smiled.
“You better do a little more than try,” Caleb answered. “I’m looking forward to hearing good news before we get back.”
“Alright. I’ll do my best to stay alive until you get back,” I said, holding my hand out to him for a shake. “Good?”
“That’ll do,” he said, forgoing the hand and leaning over to hug me.
Alaine stepped forward and wrapped me in her arms. “Try and get some rest, sweetheart,” she said, softly kissing my cheek. “You look very tired.”